A call for local pig hunters to stop relocating wild pigs has gone out.
OSPRI, who work with the farming industry to manage animal disease say, not only is it illegal, but it’s putting local hunting and farming at risk.
For decades some hunters have relocated wild pigs, referred to as live capture, from one forest to another for breeding purposes. However, with Tasman on the fringe of becoming TB (Bovine tuberculosis) free, while neighbouring areas still struggle, the release of pigs into new locations carries a high risk of unintentionally spreading the devastating disease.
“It’s a huge risk and the consequences for livestock and farmers are massive, it’s also negative for the pig hunters,” Mahana farmer and voluntary Top of the South OSPRI committee member Michelle Payne explains.
“If TB shows up in wild possums or pigs, hunting in the area will be restricted or cease.”
Areas infected with TB may need to be controlled through trapping or, for large inaccessible areas, using 1080 applied by air.
The use of this toxin means that hunting needs to stop for months and, in particular, dogs should be kept away.
The disease’s spread also means farms in the area face restrictions on the movement of animals.
“Lots of people, farmers, and growers have been working hard to eradicate TB and this work could be all undone with live pigs being relocated,” Michelle explains.
“A TB-infected pig has flow-on effects and creates TB-infected possums, ferrets, weasels, and stoats as they scavenge on hunted pig carcasses and offal.
“The public is key in our TB control efforts so please stop relocating live pigs. Get in touch with OSPRI if you come across a pig with suspicious lesions, we would appreciate it.”
TB lesions in pigs are usually found in the head, below the jaw. In extreme cases, lesions can be found in the gut and intestine. TB shows up differently in pigs than in cattle or deer where it might appear in the abdominal or chest lining with grape-like lesions.
Waimea Weekly spoke to numerous pig hunters who said they knew pig relocation happens, or had done it themselves in the past, but agreed that it was a real risk and one they were taking seriously, but they were unwilling to go on record on the topic.
To avoid hunting limitations or creating additional problems and restrictions for farmers, the simplest solution is to not move wild pigs.
